A/N: It seems that I might have lied when I told you I'd be posting this a week before yesterday. No excuses, just that I'm terrible at keeping to schedules.
Today was a bad day. Scratch that: today was the worst day in the whole history of Queen Aerenesa's reign. ... Aside from the day the Witch staged a bloody coup and locked her in that horrid cell.
King Jackson le Monté had just declared war on the O.Z. and had seized control over the Eastern Territories. Without the support of the former resistors Nesa knew that her kingdom would fall again into enemy hands. If that happened, she wasn't sure the O.Z. would survive.
To make matters worse, her two daughters -- the only real defense against a hostile takeover bid from their neighbor -- were on some mission to save the Labyrinth from collapse.
She looked out over to where the dust of a thousand horses and transport vehicles was raised in an ominous cloud. A trickle of sweat ran down her back: he shouldn't have been able to get so far south so quickly.
Nesa raised her eyes to the heavens and did the only thing she could think to do; she prayed.
"What do you think they're doing over there?"
Wyatt glanced sidelong at his wife, his eyes twinkling, "I reckon you know what they're doin', Dot. Same thing we were up to not ten minutes ago."
Thia rolled her eyes as she hopped off the bench she had been sitting on with her shirtless companion. "But they've been so ... quiet. We make more noise than that when we're playing chess."
Her husband laughed at her, "Darlin' we don't play chess the way a normal couple does and you know it. I can pretty much guarantee that Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass is not messing around with the princess. They're probably talking about gods-know what."
Thia scuffed her shoe against the gravel path, her eyes taking in the night blooming flowers that surrounded them. The garden may not have been at it's peak, but it was still a sight to behold. "Probably talking about agriculture or botany or something like that."
Wyatt shrugged, pulling her into his lap as she walked closer to him, "'Bout the only thing they have in common in this world, Dot."
She sighed as she burrowed her head into his neck, "It's not fair, Wyatt."
"What's not, Dot?" He reached over with one hand and picked up his fallen shirt. She scooted forward on his lap so he could maneuver into the garment.
She shook her head again, looking at him with saddened eyes. The wrinkles already forming around her cornflower eyes from the troubles of leading a country were more prominent than ever when she frowned. "I can feel the Land already begging for their union. We, at least, came from the same world and spoke the same language."
As he stood them up, Wyatt looked in the direction their counterparts stood beyond the trees. "A war bride."
"A war queen," Thia corrected softly, her head tilted as if she was listening to the wind. In fact, she was listening to the voices of the O.Z. and her other half, the Labyrinth, as they whispered their needs and desires for her and all other land bound to hear. They wanted DG. And Wyatt Cain.
The air was filled with smoke from the guns, and the smell of blood as soldiers fell on both sides of the battle ground. It was just supposed to be a scouting trip. They were headed southwest, through the forest, when the first gunshot went off and the first man fell.
(Actually, the first casualty was a woman, hiding out among the Longcoats as a man since her husband was killed. She was a spy for the Resistance and had traveled with the Longcoats to King Jackson's kingdom directly after the eclipse. But that's a minor point and really doesn't matter for the rest of the story as she is never found out.)
"Why does every day have to end in death?" one of the Resistors heading to Finaqua groused as he ran an enemy through with his dagger.
The woman fighting near him let out a humorless laugh as she broke the neck of her combatant. "If it's a good day to live, it's a good day to fight, and it's always a good day to die."
The man let out a bark of laugh as another enemy soldier ran at him and the deadly dance began again, leaving no time to continue the conversation, and very little to even think.
A shrill battle cry broke through the sounds of guns and metal on bone. The man and woman ignored the cry as best they could, taking the surprised shock on their opponents' faces to end their battles quickly. Once out of immediate danger, the couple looked up into the sky to see great winged mammals swooping down to help the Resistors and their battle.
"Sweet Lurline," the woman said, her eyes wide as she watched the winged creatures tear through those that got too close to their clawed feet and hands. Harpies. "They've returned."
"Look, Gaby," her companion replied, pointing to the creatures coming up through the forest, rounding up some of the soldiers that were trying to run. "Gargoyles."
"What magick is this, Stephen?" Gaby replied, her eyes wide. She began looking around at the fighting going on around them. Things were winding down now, thanks to the help of their magickal allies. Gabrielle and Stephen were not the only two standing around without a fighting partner. "The Sorceress destroyed all of the gargoyles and harpies annuals ago."
"Apparently not," Stephen replied, grabbing Gaby's callused hand and pulling her toward where the prisoners were being gathered and guarded by a few of the scariest looking harpies either one had ever seen.
A harpy approached the pair, having signaled them out as the leaders of the group of Resistors. She inclined her head in respect to their rank as the fighting came to a complete halt around them.
"Thank you for the assistance," Stephen said as Gabrielle eyed the creature and her barely covered, feathered form with curiosity. "We had no idea some of your kind had escaped the Scourge."
The harpy smiled, revealing glinting sharp teeth, "The Sorceress was not nearly as all-knowing as she pretended. There are those of us who have survived. Far more than you see here, but they remain hidden."
"Why have you come forward now? Where were you in the past months and annuals leading up to the Eclipse?" Gabrielle's voice cut through with a hard edge to it as she sheathed her daggers.
The harpy straightened her back as her feathers bristled at the implied insult, "Don't question our motives for staying away, human! Your race wasn't facing xenocide." Gabrielle backed off a little, silently offering an apology for her words. The harpy accepted by adding, "And we have come out of hiding because the queen has returned and will need our help. All of our help."
"Hey, Mr. Cain?" DG asked as she look up at the leaves above where she lay in the small alcove of the garden. She was unusually warm in the afternoon breeze that filtered through the peach trees.
"What is it, kid?" the man in question asked from where he sat against one of the closest trees. Try as he might,
"What's going to happen when we get back to Finaqua?" her voice was small as she sat up and moved to rest her head on his leg the way she often had on their week-long journey to stop the Witch.
Cain's hand came down to smooth through her hair as if it had a mind of its own. "Well, King Jackson is a serious threat that will need to be dealt with. And we'll have to get the army set up and running properly under Gale control again. A public broadcast reassuring the people would help -- which means we'll have to get the comm towers back up. We'll also have to get the government back up and running."
"We?" DG looked up at him with wide eyes that looked very close to tears. "You're staying?"
His hand caressed her cheek and his blue eyes softened, "I'll never leave you. Especially not when you need me the most, DG."
She hitched a breath as he leaned down so his face was over hers. Her eyes went even wider than they already were as she realized his intent even as he paused mere inches from her face. His gaze flickered between her lips and her eyes, silently asking her if it was all right.
Just as silently DG snaked her arm around the back of his neck and pulled his head down the last few inches in a kiss as sweet as honey and firm as ... well ... you get the idea. Dot. Dot. Dot.
The pair carried along like that for some time until the fireworks set off by their steamy encounter were getting too hot to handle and Cain pulled back. Just in time to see a few goblins try to sneak back into the shadows.
Cain pulled DG up with him as he got to his feet. The moment had passed and his senses returned, "Stay behind me, Princess."
DG seemed to be able to read his tense body language correctly because she didn't argue with him as he pushed her behind his broad frame and (hopefully) out of harm's way.
The pair followed the steadily moving goblins back toward the main path that wound through the garden, stopping only when they came across another couple that looked almost exactly like DG and her Tin Man. The man was sitting on a stone bench while his wife examined a flowering bush a few feet away. Her back was turned to the newcomers and she seemed to be listening to something in the air.
Her husband turned at the slight sound of feet on gravel. When he saw Ink and Blot standing at attention in front of DG and Cain, the prince coughed into his hand to let his wife know that they had company. Company they had, apparently, been expecting.
Thia whipped around to reveal both of her hands protectively cradling her stomach. Her eyes met the other princess's as she said clear enough for the goblins hiding in the far reaches of the garden to hear, "King Jackson has spilt the First Blood."
DG looked at the grave look on Cain's face before turning back to her counterpart, "That sounds bad."
"He's openly declared war," Cain explained without turning to face her. "We have to get back right away."
"What about Az?" DG asked, her head turning between Thia and Cain as she searched for answers.
"She has to stay here, kiddo," Cain replied with a note of regret in his voice. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head as she looked down, her very being deflated, "No, it's all right. I couldn't expect we'd be together forever, right?"
Thia took a step forward as her husband rose from his seat. "But you can say good-bye this time. And I'll show you how to use mirror communication so that you can talk to her while the fighting's going on."
DG's head rose and there was a familiar determined jut to her jawline. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible," Thia replied. Wyatt offered her his hand and she took it before letting the goblins lead them back inside.
If there was one thing Az hated more than the Witch, it was saying good-bye to her sister so soon after having been reunited with her. She knew why it was happening, and she agreed with reasoning, but that didn't mean that she had to like it.
"Thia said she'd show me how to use a mirror to communicate with you, though, so it's not like it's forever this time, Az."
One of Azkadellia's hands came up to run over DG's cheek, tears flooding her eyes as she pulled her into a hug, "I wish you didn't have to leave at all."
"Careful what you wish for," DG replied, hugging her back just as fiercely. When she pulled back and wiped off the tears from Az's eyes, "But I know what you mean. I love you, and this isn't good-bye."
Az frowned as she conjured a handkerchief to wipe her eyes properly with, "What should we say then?"
"How about 'see you soon'?" DG offered with a small smile, "After all, we'll see each other with the mirrors tonight, won't we?"
Az let out a small laugh at that, "I guess you're right."
DG grinned cheekily, trying to get her sister to laugh again, "I always am. Just ask Cain."
"Hey!" the man in question protested. "Don't drag me into this."
The younger princess turned to him with her wide eyes and innocent face, "Why, Cain, I don't know what you mean. I was only stating the obvious."
At the glare Cain pointedly gave the younger princess Az couldn't control the smile threatening to break through any longer.
"Oh, Deej," Az said as she embraced her sister again. "Stay safe, okay? And I'll see you soon."
"See you soon, Az," she replied as she let go of her sister. Turning her attention to the man standing next to Az, DG added, "And, Zero? Take good care of my sister or I'll do something that will make the papay look like rabbits. Got it?"
Zero gulped visibly at the threat. "Of course, Princess."
DG grinned again, "Good." She turned to where Thia was standing beside a silently laughing Wyatt and Cain (whose mouth was twitching in an effort to keep the smile hidden, "Now we can go."
"Good luck," Wyatt nodded to the four they were leaving in the Goblin Kingdom.
"Lurline guide your paths," Jareth replied with a nod.
Jeb's eyes widened at the news that his scouts were reporting. Harpies? Gryphons? This far south of their safe holds? What in Lurline's name could have caused them to come out of hiding with the threat of the Witch's men still out there?
"Don't look so shocked, nephew," a voice said from behind him. He turned his head slightly and dismissed the scout with a flick of his wrist when he saw his youngest aunt, Jael. "The Witch didn't know nearly as much about the magick of the O.Z. denizens as she thought."
"These are your other troops?" he questioned with a nod toward where the group of magickal beings and Resistors was approaching Finaqua.
Jael nodded once, "It was actually your uncle, Elliot, who discovered them."
"I thought you hadn't seen him since Dad was put in the suit?"
"It was before that. Amy and I didn't find out about it until later, though. When the gryphons came looking for him after he hadn't visited in too long." Jael gave her nephew a tense smile. "You'd be surprised how much they've done to help us."
"Like what?" Jeb asked as the two of them started walking through the maze so that they could meet the new troops at the gate with Amy and Ahamo.
"How do you think the Witch didn't find us when she came looking through the mountains?" she inquired with a small smile on her face.
"We always figured you were using the caves or tunnels," Jeb replied. "Are you saying that the gryphons hid you?"
"The harpies and the gryphons actually. Harpies hid the women and children in their nests, and the gryphons hid the men in their caves until the danger had passed. After that we stayed in regular contact and started raising our young together. The children are with the harpies left at the nests now."
"You left your children with harpies?" Jeb asked, unable to help the tone of disbelief from entering his voice.
Jael have her nephew an admonishing look, "There's no safer place for them to be right now Jeb. The harpies have sworn their safety and there is nothing more sacred to them than keeping their word."
Reluctantly the young man nodded, "I'm sorry, Aunt Jael," he whispered as they continued walking. "There's just so much happening and so many things are changing so quickly."
"I know, Jeb. I know. All we can do is be there for the Queen when she needs us. And she needs us now more than ever. We can't let King Jackson take her home away from her when she's only just realized that's what the O.Z. is."
Jeb stopped in his tracks, "What are you talking about?" Who was she talking about? The old queen had known the O.Z. was her home for annuals -- ever since she had been born. That could only mean that ...
Jael smiled cryptically as she watched him put the pieces together. "You are your father's son, Jeb. Never doubt that. And never doubt his love for you."
A/N: So? What do you think? For those of you who wondering, Gaby/Gabrielle is Gwen's daughter (Jeb's cousin and Wyatt's niece) and Stephen would be her lover/husband/other half. I had a major issue getting through this chapter, thus why it was sooooo late and untimely. I really hope to get into more of a schedule now and update at least weekly.
Suggestions, hopes, ideas, whatever are all welcome. Just no flames. I like building things up, not tearing them down. ... Well ... unless it's King Jackson's reign, of course. ...